


i just want you to know i wanna be your romeo

by feathertofly



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Fluff, Het, SO MUCH FLUFF, girl!Louis, girl!Zayn, sorry about that, total lack of niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-24
Updated: 2013-09-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 13:06:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feathertofly/pseuds/feathertofly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>liam falls for zayn - because of course he does - just a little differently than everyone else seems to. title from hey juliet by lmnt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i just want you to know i wanna be your romeo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LittleLostPieces](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLostPieces/gifts).



> happy birthday, dearest love! this turned out to be actually more of a love letter to zayn and liam than an actual story, but i hope you like this silly little thing anyway :)
> 
> i don't think anyone on the planet realizes just how much i love ziam. like, i wrote a lot of harry/louis so that's pretty clear, but i really, REALLY love zayn/liam. when i first got into this fandom it was exclusively for zayn/liam. and somehow i've gotten this far without ever writing anything about them in reality, so the buck stops here and here's my take on disney prince!liam payne and not veronica but still prettier than any girl you'll ever meet!zayn!

some days, when the lunch rush is over and the afternoon crowd has yet to stumble in, liam wonders of every incarnation of him ever to exist has worked in a coffee shop. maybe not his entire life, maybe not even for a full year, but there's something in the repetition of grinding the coffee beans and brewing the tea and arranging the pastries on display that feels as if it's worked its way into his muscle memory so deep that it must bridge into other, parallel universes. maybe even in the universes where is an actual disney prince he still passes his time grinding fresh coffee or squeezing fresh orange juice for his princess.

 

usually by about that point in his thought process, louis has come up behind him to sprinkle flour in his hair or berate him for making a pot of tea wrong or whatever other ridiculousness it is that make louis louis, but today she's just lounging against the back counter, legs crossed at the ankle and her tongue between her teeth as she types away furiously on her phone. as her manager, liam is sure he should scold her for that. but scolding hasn't worked even once in the past six months she's been working there, and it's not like she's actively avoiding customers, so liam just sighs and ignores her.

 

the quiet atmosphere in the shop shatters only moments later when louis' boyfriend burst through the door. louis lights up like a roman candle and liam just rolls his eyes; he totally should've taken away her phone. she'll be useless for the rest of the day now, giddy while harry's here and dreamily staring at the door once he's gone.

 

it takes a good minute for liam to notice that harry had dragged someone in behind him. years from now he's sure he'll look back on those sixty seconds as a time of youth and innocence, beautiful blissful ignorance, because the instant his eyes land on her, his life is changed forever.

 

it's a molecular attraction, liam is pretty sure. he's been physically attracted to girls before, obviously, but he's never felt anything like this, like he wants to grind his bones to powder to be mixed with her bones. like he wants to splinter and shatter his heart just to prove that it can fit in the empty spaces of her heart. he can't help but wish he'd paid better attention in his romantic literature class back in uni because there is nothing in his vernacular that fully captures this racing heart, this tunnel vision, the desire to start a slow clap for whatever deity created such a majestic creature.

 

and then, in that moment when he is sure he can't take it anymore, the beautiful goddess twists her hands in the strap of her messenger bag, pulling it forward enough that liam can see the batman logo sticker emblazoned right there on the flap.

 

he lets out something approximating a squeak and then turns stiffly and walks back into the kitchen, out the door, and into the back alley where he promptly hangs his head between his knees and wishes for death.

 

"er, you alright there, mate?"

 

liam wants to scoff. as if harry could ever understand the sweet agony of being in the same room as that fallen angel and not know her name.

 

"i'm in love with her," he whispers, as if afraid to let out a precious secret.

 

harry's brow furrows, and he begins to gnaw on the tip of his thumb. "who, louis? because, trust me, i get that she's like stupidly magnetic, but it's probably a bit not on to tell that to her actual boyfriend, you know?"

 

"no, you idiot, the girl who came in with you. with the raven hair and big brown eyes and eyelashes like blades of..." liam trails off a bit, trying to think of just the right simile.

 

"like really long blades of, like, black grass?" harry offers.

 

"nah, that's not quite right."

 

"yeah, now that you mention it, what about, erm, long and black like the bristles at the end of a plastic broom?"

 

liam frowns, but he can't actually think of anything better. "well it's not exactly romantic, but i guess that'll have to do. but, like, yeah. that angel."

 

"oh," harry's face lights up, "you mean zayn!"

 

and of course, of course that creature would have a name as lovely and majestic as she. liam sighs, and then turns and rests his hands heavily on harry's shoulders.

 

"harold."

 

"yeah, not my name, but steady on, sailor."

 

"you have to introduce me to her. i have to know her. i burn, i pine, i perish."

 

"dude," harry says, face contorting weirdly as he tries to slip out of liam's grip, "you're about thirty seconds away from a taylor swift level meltdown, you know that, right? just get in there and say hi, don't be weird about it."

 

which, really, is rich coming from harry, who's spent months trying to woo louis by using the worst pick up lines known to man, one a day for a full six weeks until louis finally threw her hands up and agreed to go out with him. they’ve been attached at the hip - or hand, or lip - ever since.

 

harry must be able to tell that something along those lines is about to come out of liam’s mouth, because he is quick to turn tail and head back into the shop. by the time liam has steeled his shoulders and walked back in, harry and louis are snogging against the counter, unsurprisingly. zayn -zayn, zayn, zayn - is sat in one of the oversized cushioned chairs in the corner of the room, doodling on a napkin.

 

“is it weird that this is a coffee shop in the middle of the day and no one’s actually here drinking anything?” she says without looking up. liam’s heart is effectively stopped. he props his chin up on his fists and gazes adoringly at her.

 

“but soft, what light through yonder window breaks? it is the east, and zayn is the sun.”

 

that seems to get her attention. zayn looks up slowly, one eyebrow raised and looking vaguely unimpressed in liam’s general direction. which, like, probably if he thought about it too closely, that could really get him down, but she is. looking. in. his. direction. so he can’t even bring himself to be bothered.

 

“first of all,” she drawls as she goes back to sketching idly. liam takes her acknowledging of his existence as permission to approach her and does just that. “that’s not iambic pentameter, shakespeare would be horrified. second of all, you do know that romeo is being kind of a creepy stalker in that scene, right? if a guy stood outside my window and watched me while i thought i was all alone, i’d probably call the cops on him, no matter what kind of poetry he was spouting at the time.”

 

liam mentally crosses that off the list in his head. no midnight serenading, no rock at the window, no standing outside her window with a boombox over his head playing peter gabriel.

 

“it’s really cool that you know what you want out of life,” liam says, gazing in wonder at how her hand fits around the charcoal pencil she’s using to sketch. “can i see what you’re drawing?”

 

zayn shrugs and hands it over. there’s no definitive shape yet, but the swirls and slashes all add up to something that liam feels on a level he can’t quite describe. which, in turn, pretty much describes the last fifteen minutes of his life, since zayn walked through the door.

 

“you really are very good at that,” he says, fingers ghosting over the patterns, almost touching but just enough away to not smudge the marks.

 

“you think that’s good,” louis calls over from where she’s apparently detached herself from sucking bruises into harry’s neck, or cheek, or whatever, “you should hear her sing.”

 

it’s possible that liam’s eyes almost bug out of his head. it must be quite a sight because zayn starts a little, pulling away and practically throwing the napkin at him. “you can have it, it’s nothing, go ahead.” liam takes it with a smile, because he knows. zayn thinks it’s a little nothing, but it isn’t. she just gave a part of herself to him, however small. liam’s going to treasure it for all he’s worth.

 

“anyway, harry and i were just leaving, weren’t we, harry?” zayn says abruptly, standing fast enough that her bag nearly crashes to the floor. liam saves it, just barely, and when he hands it up to her, zayn’s eyes are a little softer. “thanks,” she says quietly, “dunno what i would’ve done if my computer had up and cracked. should be more careful, i guess.” liam just smiles up, soaking up every moment he has with her.

 

and, like. it’s weird, right? liam loves his mum and his dog and even louis and harry, on some level. he loves playing the piano and he loves the feeling of having a positive balance in his bank account. he’s had girlfriends in the past that he liked, even loved. and on some level, he’s positive that it’s not actual, real life, til death do us part love, not really. it could be, but in this moment all he knows is the absolute thrill of a completely new, fresh feeling. zayn is a new book and liam wants to read every one of her pages, including the footnotes. zayn is a painting and liam wants to sit and stare at her for hours. zayn is a record that liam wants to play on repeat until the needle on his record player goes dull and the melodies are as much a part of him as his skin, his eyes, his tattoos. even if it’s not a happily ever after kind of love, liam doesn’t care. he’s in love, and that’s all that matters.

 

it’s not until zayn is nearly out the door that liam plucks up the courage to ask what’s been on his mind since the minute he first lays eyes on her. “can i see you again?” it sounds casual enough, and he’s hoping his inflection is more _want to grab dinner sometime_ and less of the far more accurate _can i see you every day for the rest of my life?_ zayn looks a little wary, like she’s about to say no, but louis, wonderful louis, pops in to save the day.

 

“we’re having a party at harry’s dad’s place tonight, lee, you should come! zayn will be there too, right?” zayn answers the affirmative, and plans are set. tonight, liam will see her again. he has something to look forward to instead of just heading home for a night of playing with loki and endless episodes of the only way is essex. he couldn’t be more thrilled.

 

for once, it’s louis who gets to tease liam through the shift instead of the other way around. he blushes and ducks his head, and it only takes louis a couple minutes to realize just how red he is.

 

“wow, you really like her, huh?” she asks softly, a little smile playing at the corner of her lips.

 

“you’ve no idea,” liam admits, “probably i don’t even have an idea.”

 

louis cocks her head a bit as she goes about mixing up some hot chocolate for an old nana who’d somehow made her way in, their only other customer of the afternoon. “i’m not gonna warn you away or anything, threaten your balls or the like, just. she’s a bit fragile, alright? be gentle with her. she acts all tough and cool, but the reality is that she wears her heart on her sleeve and it gets her in trouble as often as not.”

 

liam is completely perplexed. why would louis even feel the need to say that? is it not the most obvious thing in the world that zayn is delicate? lovely? precious? the only reason louis would need to say it to liam, he’s sure, is if there was someone else that she should’ve said it to and didn’t. and that makes liam feel all the more protective. he's got to nail it tonight at the party.

\-----

normally when one thinks parties, they think of kegs and beer pong and people hooking up on every available surface. it seems, however, that harry hails from a more civilized era, where parties include scrabble and red wine and roaring fireplaces. not that liam is complaining;  the like of zayn's throat when she throws back her head and laughs while being softly lit by the dancing flames is one of the most captivating things he's ever seen. he's openly staring and he knows, _knows_ that’s probably too much. he’s probably overwhelming her, or freaking her out or something. that’s pretty much confirmed later when he finally approaches her. she’s sitting by the fire, wrapped up in this big wool sweater and smiling and she just looks like a painting, all soft planes and curves and practically swimming in her clothes and liam just can’t keep admiring from afar.

 

“you look really beautiful tonight,” he says as he approaches, hands tucked into his pockets in an attempt to keep them from shaking. zayn looks up and her jaw tightens as if she’s about to brush him away, but there must be something in his eyes that convinces her to let him stay.

 

“i don’t really get what’s going on here,” she says bluntly, but scoots over a bit to make room for him next to the fire, “like, we met less than twelve hours ago and you’re already acting like… like something, i dunno. like i’m a disney princess that you need to sweep off her feet and frog march back to your castle. i dunno if it’s some sort of weird possessive thing or what, but i’m not really comfortable with -”

 

liam’s heart drops. “no, zayn, never!” he insists. “i mean, yeah, i sometimes kind of like to pretend that i’m a disney prince, but not so flat. it’s not about owning you, it’s about wanting you to know how special you are.” she still doesn’t look convinced, so he takes a deep breath and plows forward. “i learned a long time ago that there’s nothing worse than missing an opportunity to tell someone how amazing they are. all these games, with the waiting three days to call and don’t text first unless you want to seem desperate, it’s worthless. if you feel something, don’t be scared of it. if you keep everything you feel locked away, eventually you’re going to forget it completely and then where would you be? why play it cool when playing it cool could end in missing out on some of the greatest opportunities of your life? and if i had just kept quiet earlier today, i’d still feel exactly the same way i do, but you’d never know it, and i’d never know what could’ve happened. if we could’ve been something amazing, or maybe just fizzled out, or a million other things.”

 

zayn’s jaw has dropped a little, and her thumb is pushing her cuticles back in a way that liam would bet anything is a nervous habit. he doesn’t blame her, if he went up to him and said something like that, he’d probably freak himself out too. there’s no trace of embarrassment, or fear pumping through his blood, just a lump in his throat.

 

“anyway,” he concludes, finding a snag in his own sweater that is suddenly infinitely interesting, “just know that it’s not a weird possession thing. if you were to turn me down and i never saw you again, i’d still not regret saying what i said. you do look beautiful, and you deserve to know it. and i bet you’re smart and kind and have an amazing voice, and you’re probably really loyal and hilarious and it’s possible at this point that i’m just kind of projecting, but -”

 

liam is silenced by zayn’s lips pressing against his, and it’s like lightening shooting down his spine. zayn’s hand comes up to tangle in his hair and turn his head just so, and liam lets his hand rest gently against her cheek. not pushing, not controlling, just letting his fingers memorize the feeling of her sharp cheekbones and amazingly soft skin. it’s like time completely stands still, and all that he can feel is her lips against his, the tease of her tongue tracing along his lower lip. it’s not just everything he imagined it would be over the last few hours, it’s even more.

 

the kiss feels like it lasts hours, but it can’t be more than a minute before louis catcalls from where she’s perched on harry’s lap, and the sound break through their haze and zayn pulls away, giggling. she schools her features into a stern look and directs it at liam.

 

“not an act?” liam shakes his head quickly, still a little stunned. zayn smiles, a little hesitant but it’s there. “in that case, you might actually be the weirdest guy i’ve ever met. luckily for you, apparently i’m into that a little bit.”

 

she’s teasing him. zayn is actually, in real life, teasing liam. she’s going to absolutely be the death of him. he smiles back, a little dazedly, but doesn’t move away when she slides her hand into his and tangles their fingers together.

 

“say you’ll go to dinner with me?”

 

she laughs a bit uncertainly, glancing around at everyone else. “are we not at dinner right now?”

 

liam’s brow furrows as he looks around and, oh yeah. “dessert then,” he insists. “milkshakes at a diner or cheesecake factory or mcdonalds, whatever it is on earth that you want. let me get it with you.”

 

“yeah, sounds okay,” she ducks her head to hide her blush for a moment, but then looks back right into liam’s eyes. “i mean, i would really like that, i think. there’s a great diner back in town, i’ve gone there a couple of times with harry and his family. are you sure you want to leave right now?”

 

“absolutely,” liam says. louis and harry are great, but they’ll totally understand. if anyone in the world is going to understand the lengths that must be gone to for the sake of true love, surely it’s harry and louis.

 

“right,” zayn says, and her smile is bigger now. eyes sparkling and she’s playing with the end of her braid with her free hand, another nervous habit he’s sure, but this at least seems to be a good one. they stand up too quick and bump into each other, and she takes a quick, steadying breath before pulling back and clearing her throat. everything in her body language reads nervous excitement, and that’s only half of what liam wants her to be feeling.

 

“hey,”  he says softly, brushing the back of his knuckles against her cheek, “don’t worry. there’s no pressure here, i just want to know you better. and i’m pretty sure that i’m going to like pretty much anything i find out, so just. don’t be worried, okay?”

 

apparently it’s the right thing to say, because zayn instantly calms. liam hadn’t even realized how tense she’d been until she let her shoulders drop and her face relax. “guess i’m just not really used to stuff like this not being stressful,” she admits, dropping her gaze. “i’m sort of built for the slam, bam, thank you m’am kind of stuff,  not having to be clever and witty and entertaining for more than a few hours at a time.”

 

liam has a lot of feelings on that particular statement, but he’ll probably save that for later. instead he just cocks his head and leads her to slip out the front door into the crisp night air, all the way up to his pickup truck.

 

“your magic carpet awaits, princess,” and zayn absolutely lights up at that.

 

“thanks, prince charming,” she says as she pulls him down for a kiss on the cheek. he opens the door and helps her up in, closing it behind her before jogging over to get in himself.

 

he’s just about to lift himself up in when his phone buzzes in his back pocket. it’s a text from louis:

 

_where is zayn??????_

 

liam just laughs, and types out a quick _on a magic carpet ride_ before shooting it off.

 

the response is instantaneous, and unsurprisingly from harry. _that had better not be a metaphor for your dick, payne._

 

liam shows zayn as soon as he gets in the car, and she just laughs before typing a response on his phone. _i have incriminating pictures and am not afraid to use them, harold, now leave me alone to go on a date in peace._

  
liam’s phone stays silent after that.


End file.
